Armed Forces: US Bases

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 29 March (WA 112), how they are able to gauge whether military bases on United Kingdom soil but outside United Kingdom jurisdiction have adequate regard to the rights of United Kingdom citizens if no central record of reported incidents is kept.

Lord Drayson: All military bases in the United Kingdom, including those made available to the United States Visiting Force (USVF) under the terms of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951, are subject to UK law. The UK Ministry of Defence Police and local police forces have jurisdiction at all UK military bases in the UK, including those made available to the USVF. Similarly, all military bases in the UK are within the jurisdiction of English courts, to which individuals may have recourse to vindicate their rights.

Aviation: RAF Ballykelly

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether security at RAF Ballykelly has been reviewed following the recent incident when a commercial flight landed there in error.

Lord Drayson: The security measures at Ballykelly military base are constantly reviewed in line with the current threat. I am satisfied that the response to the incident on 29 March 2006, when a Ryanair aircraft landed in error at the base, confirmed that the security measures already in place were effective and appropriate and that no additional review was needed.

Biomedicine and Human Rights

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With regard to the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine 1997 (a) whether they have signed this convention; (b) if they have not signed it, what are their reasons for not doing so, and whether they have plans to do so in the future; and (c) how many countries have now signed it.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The UK has not yet signed the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The UK supported the development of the convention, but domestic policy on many of the issues has been developing rapidly since the convention was opened for signature in 1997. It covers a wide range of complex ethical and legal issues where domestic policy is still to be resolved. These matters will need to be concluded before the Government are in a position to consider signing and ratifying the convention.
	According to Council of Europe documentation, 33 countries have signed the convention. They are: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine.

British Citizenship

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 October 2004 (WA 187), why the website of the British consulate-general in Hong Kong still indicates that persons of Nepali ethnic origin under 21 years of age on 4 February 1997 retain Nepalese citizenship; whether the Nepalese authorities have confirmed that Section 9(1) of the Nepal Citizenship Act 1964 applies equally to a minor whose parents or guardians acted lawfully in obtaining British nationality on behalf of and for the benefit of the child; and whether Section 9(2) of that Act provides that a Nepali minor who lawfully acquired British nationality otherwise than by birth immediately loses citizenship of Nepal.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Under the Nepal Citizenship Act 1964, a minor who becomes a citizen of a foreign country and a citizen of Nepal by birth and descent at the same time must choose the citizenship of either country within five years of attaining the age of 16. The Nepalese citizenship of the person who does not choose that citizenship shall be lapsed after the expiry of that time limit. Consequently, minors who are dual nationals are considered to be Nepalese citizens until the age of 21. There has been no further correspondence from the Nepalese authorities clarifying the position of British/Nepalese dual nationals by birth/descent that would alter the advice offered on the website of our consulate-general in Hong Kong.
	The Nepalese authorities have not confirmed that Section 9(1) of the Nepal Citizenship Act 1964 applies equally to a minor whose parents or guardians acted lawfully in obtaining British nationality on behalf of and for the benefit of that child. Nor have the Nepalese authorities confirmed whether Section 9(2) of that Act provides that a Nepalese minor who lawfully acquired British nationality otherwise than by birth immediately loses citizenship of Nepal. Our embassy in Kathmandu is currently in touch with the Nepalese authorities to clarify the position.

Children: Parental Drug and Alcohol Use

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many incidents of domestic violence in the United Kingdom each year are linked to (a) alcohol misuse, and (b) drug abuse.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The British Crime Survey (BCS) routinely provides information on the number of incidents of domestic violence, but not on the numbers of incidents that were linked to alcohol or drug abuse. Figures for percentages of incidents of domestic violence, where the offender was thought to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs, are available for BCS 2004–05. The 2004–05 British Crime Survey estimated that in just over half the incidents of domestic violence the offender was thought to be under the influence of alcohol (53 per cent), and in just over one in 10 incidents under the influence of drugs (11 per cent).
	The BCS figures are estimates only. As they are derived from a sample, they are subject to sampling error. Also, the context of the face-to-face BCS interview means the estimates are certain to be underestimates of the true extent due to the fact that some respondents may be unwilling to reveal experience of domestic violence to interviewers. To address this, self-completion components for those aged 16–59 on domestic violence have been included in the 1996, 2001, 2004–05, and 2005–06 BCS. Results from the 2001 BCS self-completion module on domestic violence were published in Home Office Research Study No. 276. According to this more confidential approach to measurement prevalence (per cent of population victim at least once) rates for past year domestic assault were approximately five times higher than in the main face-to-face BCS. The BCS covers only England and Wales, so the figures exclude Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	
		Percentages of incidents of domestic violence where the offender was thought to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs, BCS 2004–05
		
			 Domestic violence Percentages 
			 Under the influence of alcohol  
			 Yes 53 
			 No 45 
			 Don't know 2 
			 Total 100 
			 Under the influence of drugs  
			 Yes 11 
			 No 80 
			 Don't know 9 
			 Total 100

Drivers: Motoring Offences

Viscount Goschen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each of the past 10 years for which figures are available (a) what proportion of drivers had driving licences with no endorsements; and (b) how many people were banned from driving.

Lord Davies of Oldham: This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Hazardous Substances

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the purpose of the new European Union directive on the restriction of hazardous substances, to be effective from 1 July 2006.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The restriction of hazardous substances directive (2002/95/EC) seeks to minimise the environmental impact of waste electrical and electronic equipment when it reaches end of life, by restricting the levels of four heavy metals and two brominated flame retardants which it may contain.

Iraq: UK Forces

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to respond to the views expressed by Iraqi political parties and reflected in public opinion polls that they should announce a date for the withdrawal of United Kingdom forces in Basra and neighbouring zones.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: UK troops are in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi Government and under an international mandate set out by UN Security Council Resolution 1637. The Iraqi Government are, at any time, able to seek a review of the arrangements or the termination of the multinational force's mandate.
	As the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces grow, they will assume greater responsibility for the provision of security. Cities and provinces will progressively return to full Iraqi control. This process will be governed by Iraqi government decisions and informed by conditions on the ground, not by any predetermined timetable on our part.

Israel: UN Resolutions

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which, if any, of the United Nations resolutions relevant to Israel have been implemented by Israel since 1949.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: UN bodies have passed many resolutions relevant to Israel since 1949. To review every resolution and comment on the degree to which Israel has implemented each one could be done only at disproportionate cost. It is clear, however, that many of these resolutions have not been implemented by Israel. But many of them are not for only Israel to implement. Israel has partially implemented UN Security Council Resolution 242, by withdrawing from the Sinai peninsula and the Gaza Strip; and in June 2000, the UN Secretary-General confirmed that Israeli forces had withdrawn from Lebanon in compliance with Resolution 425.

Manufacturing

Lord Steinberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to improve the manufacturing sector and to increase factory output.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Through the manufacturing strategy, we are providing help to enable more and more companies move to high-value production to meet the challenge of globalisation. The strategy is based on applying science and innovation, world-class practice, raising investment, and a high level of skills to create a high-value modem manufacturing sector. We have established the Manufacturing Advisory Service, which has generated added value of £213 million for the companies it has worked with; helped to set up 14 industry forum organisations, which have generated savings of £369 million; extended the R&D tax credit, which has provided £795 million in support for SMEs; and introduced the technology programme, worth £370 million, which enables firms to capitalise on emerging technologies.

NHS: Dentists

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the number of people in England and Wales who did not have access to a National Health Service dentist on 1 April; and on what basis that estimate is made.

Lord Warner: Primary care trusts are currently recommissioning dental services in cases where dentists have chosen not to take up a new NHS dental contract from 1 April 2006. Based on provisional management information, we estimate that these rejected contracts represent around 4 per cent of NHS services. Based on levels of patient registrations prior to 1 April, this means that primary care trusts are now recommissioning services for 900,000 patients using the extra resources the Government have put into NHS dentistry.
	The reforms introduced from 1 April are designed to promote wider improvements in access to services, in particular through ensuring for the first time that primary care trusts have the resources to recommission services for their local population where a dentist ceases to provide NHS services, and through promoting compliance with expert clinical guidelines on patient recall intervals. We will need to allow time for the reforms to bed down before reassessing levels of access to NHS dental services.
	The Department of Health has previously estimated that 2 million people in England would like to access National Health Service dental services but are unable to do so.
	Access to NHS dental services for people in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.

Prisons: Activity Hours

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they will take to ensure that statistical returns from prisons in the public and private sector are accurate and up-to-date; and
	Under what circumstances figures showing activity time and time out of cell had been misrepresented in half of all the local prisons and one-third of all the training prisons inspected by HM Inspector of Prisons in 2004–05; and
	What steps they are taking to obtain accurate reports from prisons in the public and private sectors of the amount of time currently spent by inmates out of cell and engaged in constructive activity.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: HM Inspector of Prisons recently raised some concerns about the misreporting of activity hours and hours out of cell in some establishments. It is not clear what the reasons are for this misreporting in individual establishments. However, the Prison Service is taking steps to ensure that recording and reporting of data are as accurate as possible. These steps include tightening centrally issued guidance, improving the use of IT to collate data and evaluating establishment data on an individual basis. These actions are in addition to the line management checks and validations already in place in establishment. Performance data already go through line management approval to ensure data are consistent with guidelines. The Prison Service management information system, which is used by establishments to report data, contains a requirement for data in each establishment to be checked and approved by a senior manager. In addition, area managers quality-assure data ahead of discussions on performance with the director of operations. A system of independent audit ensures that managers are aware of their responsibilities and have this recorded in personal performance plans.

Prisons: Assessments

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they will take to ensure that initial, and any subsequent, assessments of prisoners routinely follow them into and between prisons.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Offender Assessment System, OASys, has been implemented in all public sector prisons and all 42 areas of the National Probation Service, enabling initial OASys assessments to routinely follow offenders electronically into custody and for these and subsequent reviews to transfer with them between prisons and, when released, into the community on licence. Full connectivity between the Prison Service and National Probation Service OASys IT systems was achieved in March 2006. Full access to OASys has also recently been given to the contracted-out prisons, although not all have started using it yet.

Prisons: Assessments

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will review the effectiveness of offender risk assessment systems, bearing in mind that privately managed prisons do not have access to the technology that supports such systems.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: There are no plans to review the effectiveness of the Offender Assessment System, OASys, which has been implemented in all public sector prisons and all 42 areas of the National Probation Service. Full access to OASys has recently been given to the contracted-out prisons, although not all have started using it yet.

Railways: Accidents

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 29 March (WA 128), why other bodies were involved prior to the completion of the initial investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), bearing in mind that the RAIB has primary responsibility for accident investigation and draws attention to other bodies where further action by them appears merited.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) all potentially have an interest in investigating rail incidents. RAIB's role is to investigate the generic root causes of an incident.
	The BTP and ORR undertake initial investigations into railway incidents alongside RAIB to discharge their statutory duties, which were unaltered by the Railways (Accident Investigation and Reporting) Regulations 2005.
	In many instances, initially it will not be clear what has caused a rail accident or incident. Only as an investigation progresses will it become clearer which agency might need to be further involved.